Process por treating hydrocarbons



sgpn r24,` lez. C. P. DUBBS 1,729,307

PROCES-S FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Filed-Feb. 2,6, 1920 J5 60N Naz/Y Pfff/VER Pfff/vin Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARBON P. DUBBSl F WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION' OF SOUTH DAKOTA PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Application led February 26, 1920. Serial No. 361.520.

This invention is more particularly adapted to the. distillation of crude petroleum oil or anv fraction or residue thereof down to coke :ua coke-like residue, as for example,

for the purpose of preparing a charging,

stock to be utilized in cracking processes lor, for example, for the purpose of converting the heavy oil such as heavy Mexican crude into a lighter oill as, forexample, for fuel purposes.

The objects of the invention are to provide a continuous process of distillation in which the oil is preferably heated under pressure, the vapors removed and the carbon or coke deposited in suitable receivers; to provide a. process in which the carbon or coke can loe removed during the operation of the prot-ess and without interfering with the continuous distillation of the oil; to provide a process in which the. coke or carbon or heavy residue is precipitated out of and .separated from the vapors outside ot the heating;r zone; to provide a process in which certain of the heavier condensed vapors may, if desired. he separated out and returned to the heating zone for further treatment; to provide a process Which, if desired, may be utilized as a cracking process for converting relatively heavy into lighter hydrocarbons; to provide a process in which all or substantially any portion of the apparatus may be subjected to a vacuum action.

In the single sheet of drawings, the figure is a side elevation ot my apparatus, parts shown in the dotted lines and parts broken away to more clearly show the invention. l

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the furnace in which is Seated u closed heatin;r coil 2. ()il is `ted to the coil 2 by means otpuinp. 2l Awhich is connected through line -1 to any suitable source of supply, the line it being controlled by valve 5. The heated oil passes from coil or heating zone 2 to a .seriesot? cette or residue receivers 6, 7 and 8 respectively. 'lhese receivers, which preferably take the Ytorni ot' vertical cylinders, are located outside ol" the tire zone and are each provided with a readily removable bottom t), in order to facilitate the removal of the carlton or coke from the receivers. More spe- -the frame 47.

citically, the oil passes from the heating coil 2 by means of pipe 10 which is provided with a plurality of branches 1l leading into the upper portion of the respective coke receivers, each pipe 11 being controlled bya valve 12 so that any one or more of the receivers can be cut out of the circuit. 'The vapors pass from the upper end of each coke receiver to a vapor outlet manifold 13 which leads to an initial water condenser 14 and is provided with a throttle valve 48. An aerial reflux 15 leads from the water condenser 14 to a second Wat-er condenser 16, which in turn is connected by pipe 17 to a receiver 18. The receiver 18 is provided with a gas outletl 19 controlled by valve 2O and liquid draw oil' 21 controlled by valve 22. The coil in the water condenser 14 is provided With a liquid draw olf' pipe 23 which in turn is Vconnected to branch pipes 24 and 25 which are provided with valves 26 and 27 respectively. vThe pipe 24- leads to a Water condenser 28 and thence to a receiver 29. The receiver 2 9 is provided with gas outlet 3() controlled by valve 31 and liquid draw ott 32 controlled by valve 33. pipe 25 leads to pump 34 which in turn is connected by pipe 35 to the inlet line 36 of the heating coil 2. A check valve 37 is interposed in pipe 35 and this pipe is also .provided with throttle valve 38. The discharge pipe from pump 8 is also provided with control valve 39 and check valve 40. The discharge from the heating coil 2 is provided with loaded pressure valve 41. Suitable pressure gages 42 and 43are also provided. The vapor outlets from the cylinders G, 7 and 8 are provided with. throttle valves 44, 45 and 46v respectively. It is to be noted that the coke receivers are suspended from As a special feature of the present invention, to the gas outlet 30 is secured line 49, leading to vacuum pump 50. Similarly to the gas outlet 19 is secured line 51 leading to vacuum pump 52.

The,

Describing now the process, for example,

into the heating coil 2. It is there heated to a temperature of say 850o F. The valve 41 is set at a predetermined pressure of say 130 lbs. The heated oil then passes through pipe 10 into one or more of the coke receivers 6, 7 and 8. The coke or heavy residue drops down into the bottom of the receiver While the vapors pass out through the manifold 13 into the initial 'Water condenser 14 n 'here the heavier fractions are condensed both by condenser 14 and the aerial reflux 15. The temperature of the initial condenser can be regulated as desired. Uncondensed vapors then pass to the condenser' 16 and into the receiver 18. The condensate in condenser 14 can either` be delivered to the receiver 29 or returned via the lines 25, pump 34- and line 35 back to the heating coil 2 for further treatment. As the carbon, coke or heavy residues collect in the receiver G, 7 or 8 as ther case may be, it can be taken out by removing the removable bottoms 9. It is to be understood that while one of these receivers is being cleaned it may be cut out of the system. By means of this process the heavy lola crude can be sl'ibstantially converted into a distillate which is particularl)7 suited as charging stock for pressure stills or the distillate maybe used in the same way as the distillate from ordinary coking stills. One object of maintaining the eil under pressure in the heating coil is to prevent the formation of coke in the heating coil and instead, to have it substantially all precipitated in the coke receivers. By maintaining the oil in the heating coil under pressure it can be heated to a relativelyy high temperature Without causing decomposition or destructive distillation to any appreciable extent but as soon as the oil passes into the carbon receiver or vapor chamber, the pres- 'sure is removed instantly which leaves the oil heated abnormally high for that pressure so that destructive distillation immediately takes place precipitating the carbon or coke and vaporizing the remainder of the oil. As a novel feature of the process, the carbon is percipitated at a point remote from the place where the relatively intense heat is applied.

In carrying out the above process the valve 27 is closed and the valve 26 opened and the vacuum pumps 50 and 52 operated. Heavy hydrocarbon oils may be also converted into lower boiling point oils by the present invention. By proper regulationof the valves, the entire system may be subjected to the action of the vacuum pumps 50 and 52. The valve 27, however, should be closed or, if desired, a pressure of say 130 pounds may be maintained ou the coil by controlling the loaded valve 4l and the rest of the system subjected to the vacuum action. The pump 50 may be shut olf if desired, in either ease and the valve 26 closed and the valve 27 opened. By operating the pump 34, the condensate from the condenser 14 may be returned to the system for further treatment.

I claim as my invention:

1. A processfor converting heavy hydrocarbon oils into lighter hydrocarbon oils comprising advancing a stream of heavy hydrocarbon oil under an applied pressure through a heating coil disposed within a furnace, raising the oil during its passage through said heating coil to a cracking temperature in excess of S00O F. While maintained under superatinospheric. pressure sullicient to prevent material destructive distillation of the oil in the heating coil, delivering the highly heated oil from said coil to an enlarged zone, releasing superatmospheric pressure from the oil delivered to said enlarged zone, thus effecting destructive distillation of the oil and substantially a complete separation of the oil into vapors and a relatively dry coke-like residue, removing the vaporous constituents from said enlarged zone, subjecting the vaporous constituents to reflux condensing action to remove therefrom all insutliciently converted materials, continuously supplying a stream of such insuliciently converted matev rials while in a heated condition under a mechanically imposed pressure to the stream of oil advancing through said heating coil.

2; A process for converting heavy hydrocarbon oils into lighter hydrocarbon oils comprising advancing a stream of heavy hydrocarbon oil under an applied pressure through a heating coil disposed within a furnace, raising the oil during its passage through said heating coil to a cracking temperature in excess of 800 F. While maintained under superatmospheric pressure sutiicient to prevent material destructive distillation of the oil in the heating coil, delivering the highly heated oil from said coil to an enlarged Zone, imme diately and substantially lowering the pressure on the oil delivered to said enlarged zone, thus effecting destructive distillation of the oil and substantially a complete separation of the oil into vapors and a relatively dry coke-like residue, removing the vaporous constituents from said enlarged zone, subjecting the vaporous constituents to reflux condensating action to remove therefrom all insufliciently converted materials, continuously supplying a stream of such insufficiently converted materials While in a heated condition under` a mechanically imposed pressure to the stream of oil advancing through said heating coil.

CARBON P. DUBBS. 

